This joint SEA and CNPS field trip to Paradise Meadows in Lassen Volcanic National Park on September 17 was definitely not summer weather. It was about 45 degrees when we started and low 60’s when we finished. We walked the first part of the trail fairly fast just to warm up. While few wildflowers were left in bloom, we did see a some alpine aster, marsh marigolds, arrowleaf senecio, Bloomer’s rabbitbush, Angelica, yampah, pearly everlasting, scarlet gilia and yarrow in bloom. Due to the bright red fruit, we noticed a western mountain ash (Sorbus scopulina) just off the trail, a plant we hadn’t noticed in previous field trips in years past. Along the way we identified, and helped others learn the six conifers on the trail: red fir, white fir, mountain hemlock, lodgepole, jeffrey and western white pine. We did hear one Red Tail Hawk on the hike up and he later sat on the top of a pine tree while we ate lunch in the meadws.
We had eight people attend this field trip carpooling in three cars to keep down our CO2 emissions with one person needing to drive separate for a family visit to Chico. A summer hike that seemed like mid fall due to the overcast skies and cold temperatures. This trail is over 7000 feet in elevation, and we were the first people on the trail so we had it to ourselves although we did run into a few people on the way back.
